Engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(o Model.)

B.v C. VANDZEN.

ENGINE.

Patented Oct. 3'

N. Perma mxomhogmmyr. wad-mman. n. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N. E Z U D N A V C. B M M m ENGINE.

Patented Oct. 3, 1882.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Genion..

BENJAMIN C. VANDUZEN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,473, dated October 3,1882.

Application filed January 16,1882. (No model.) i

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN C. VANDU- ZEN, of the city of Cincinnati, in Hamilton county, and Stat-e ot' Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class ofengines known as three-cylinder enginesf7 and it consists in certain novel and peculiar arrangements ofthe component parts,whereby greater speed is obtained with a minimum ot' cost, the engine being also so constructed as to obtain a maximum strength with a minimum of material and greater efficiency and more reliable action in the working parts thereof'.

In the accompanying drawings, foiming part of this specification, Figure lis a longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line X X of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan of haltl of the top. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal elevation of the steam or slide valve, shown in the saine position as in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 5 shows cross-sections ofthe steam-valve, taken respectively on the dotted lines Y Y, Y Y', Y2 Y2, shown in Fig. 4.

The frame of the engine is composed of three castings, A B C, which are firmly bolted togetheriu the order named, and which form principally the necessary supports and inclos'- ures for the Various working parts.

The-casting A, together with its necessary connections, forms the steam chest. The steam-passage A has its inlet at a. and three inner openings, a a2 a3, leading to the steamvalve chamber D, which has openings d d d2 on its under side, connecting respectively with the steam-cylinders B', B2, and B3. The exhaust-passage E is situated on the rear side of the casting A, which is slightly enlarged to permit of said passage having sutticient ca pacity. This passage E is preferably constructed with two exhaustoutlets-viz.,E (shown in Fig. l) and E2 (shown in Fig. 2)- when the engine is to be used with certain kinds ofreversing-valves, one of which kinds is of a peculiar construction, and which, being invented by me, I propose to protect by Letters Patent. When various other reversing valves or devices are to be employed with said engine or all reversing devices are dispensed with only one eXhaus't-portneed be constructed in or employed with this engine.

The casting B consists of the separated steam-cylinders B B2 B3, and also forms the upper half o." the casing around the crankshaft G. It has a flange, B4, around its top, by which it is bolted to part A3 ofthe casting A, and another ange, B5, around the base, by which it is bolted to the top ofthe casting C. From a point a little above the bottom line of the steam-cylinders the casting B becomes of a con tin nous half-cylindrical shape,with closed ends, and of a sumcient size to permit of the easy working of the operating parts inclosed. This casting having had its upper and lower, faces accurately finished, so that they lie in parallel planes, it is then set upright on the bed-plate of a suitable boring-machine andthe cylinders turned out, thus insuring the axis of the same to be parallel to each other and at right angles to the plane of the bottom and top faces. The lower part of this casting Bis cut out sufficiently at b b' to lit the upper half ofthe crank-shaft Cr.

The casting C has also closed ends, and is made with Haring sides and of a sufiicent width on the bottom to forni a substantial and solid base for the whole engine. It may be bolted or fastened to the floor in any preferred manner. The upper portion of the casting is of a semi-cylindrical shape, and is accurately tted to the lower portion of the casting B, forming the lower halfot' the cylindrical casing F, which incloses the crank-shaft G. This casting C also has at each end the semi-cylindrical projections C C2, and .also in the interior, equidistant from each other and the sides of the casting, the standards C3 and C4,which are enlarged at their tops C5 and C, so as to be of a shape and height similar to the projections Cl and C2, and forming, together with the same, the under supports of the crank-shaft. The tops c', c5, c6, and c2 are bolted to their corresponding under supports, C', C5, C6, and C2, forming with/the same the journal-boxes for the crank-shaft.

The steam-valve H consists of a shaft orcylinder, having the annular grooves h h h and h h h cut into its periphery, the grooves h h h being directly opposite to and in the same ver- IOO tical plane as the inlets a' (62M, the grooves 7L' Il' h.' beiiig at the opposite sides ot the cylillders alid communicating with the exhaust-passage E through corresponding openings, e c c. (See Fig. l.) Tllere is also cut out ot' the pe riphery ot' the valve a number of obloilg radial chambers` h2 h2 h2, commullicatilig with the grooves h h 7l', and a corresponding number, h3 h2 h3, collimunicating with the grooves h' h' h'. The valve H is held at one end by the pointed setscrew h, passing throligll the cap D', alid at the otller elld it is somewhat reduced in diameter to form the neck J, which is ljournaled ill the cap D2, aiid projects outwardly beyond the sallie l'ar ellougll to perlnit otl the fastening ot' thespur-wheel H' to it. The cap D2 is beveled at fr, Fig. 1, alid the co'rrespoiidiiigly-beveled edge l" ot' the valve H works against the beveled face l. Tllis is a ground -joiut alid perfectly stealll-tigllt. As the working-faces wear the slack is taken up by the screw or center h4. This wheel H' meshes ilito the wheel H2, which in turn ilieslles into the wheel H2, attached to and colieelitlic with the crankshaft G. The bracket H4 is securely bolted to the elld of the casting B, (heilig ot' the general shape shown ill Fig.l,) alld has its outer eild so shaped as to pass through and accurately lit the lnib of the wheel H2,which is intended to run loosely upon the same, the wheel being prevented from slippingo'li' bythe nut h5.

The crank-shaft G is journaled, as has been heretofore described, alid is colistructed with three erailks or eccentric crallks, G" G2 G2, correspondiligto and placed in line with the celltcrs of the cylinders, B' B2 B3, respectively, alld having such relative positions that their axes are one hundred and twenty degrees or oliethird ot' a revolution apart. Each otA the piston-heads K K' i2 consists of all inverted hollow c vlilldrical cap, L, to the interior of which is bolted the plates L' L2. The upper plate, L', has a semieircular groove, Il', cut in its lillder side parallel to the lille of the crank-shaft (l and the lower plate, L2, a corresponding groove, l2, cut in its ilpper side, alid has also an opening, Z2, cut at right allgles to the line ot' the crankshaft.

The pitnlen M W M eacll llave a cylindrical head, lmi, parallel to the lille otl the crank-shaft, alld by wllicli they are respectively connected to thepistoii-lleads KK'K2. Thecylindrical heads m fit snugly illto the cylindrical groove 1.2 in the plate L2, the plate beilig broligllt up snugly against the plate L', and the latter ill turil against the uilder side of the cap L by the bolts or screws k r. The opening Z3 is ot' Sulliciellt size to allow suliicient clearance for the. working` ofthe pitliiali, and while the pitman is suspended and swings freely from the lower plate L2 all backward lliotioii or shifting is et'eetually prevented by the plate L'. Each pitniall is enlarged suiiciently at its lower ends to perlllit of selnicireular grooves, which are present ill the under side thereof of sutii'cient size to tit the crank-shaft G, to which the pitlliall is fastened by means of the caps (lr, bolted to the under face of said lower ends.

To reilder the engine capable of beillg rcversed at will, any suitable reversing device is to be attached to the engine alld employed therewith.

In describing the operation ot' the engine, let it be supposed that no reversing-valve is used, alld that the engine is to run in only one direction. Either the exhaust-port E' or thel exhaust-port E2 is to he closed or dispensed with, alid the engine will exhaust through that one ot' the said exhaustlports E E2 which is still retained As sllowll ill the drawings, the cylinder B2 is receivilig the steam through the inlet a2, corresponding groove Il., cllaniber h2, alld opening d,1llepistonllead K' being sllowll as liavillg traveled two-third ottlle downward stroke. Tile cylinder b2 is exhausting steam through the opening (12, corresponding chamber Il, groove h', and passage e into the exhaust-chamber E, the piston 1'2 having started one-third on its upward stroke. The cylinder B isjust begililiilig to reeeivetlle stealli through the inlet a' alid corresponding groove Il, chamber 71.2, alld opening d. By the time that the piston K will have reaclled asilililar position to the one now occupied by the pistoll K' the pistoil K2 will have reached the end ot' the upwal'd stroke alld its cylinder will be receiving steam for the return downward stroke. Tile piston K' will then have assumed a similar position to that llow occupied by pistoil K2, and so the operation will be repeated indefinitely. The valve H, however, is so set that it opens the steam-passage to each cylinder a short time before the corresponding piston reaches the end of' the upward stroke, thus forming a cushion ot' live steam toresist any jar or strain calised by the rapid asceilsioll ot' the piston.

'hile the position ot' my engine is preferably vertical, as shown, nevertheless it may oceu py any other desired position-as, for example, the cylinders may be horizontal; but the iliost desirable positions for securing a liiost perfect balance ot' all parts are the ones sllowli ill the drawings, and the one which is the exact reverse of this-wiz., where the valve is liilderneath and the crank-shaft (wir on top, the longitudinal planes of the cylinders beillg vertical.

The lower chamber, X, iliay, when desired, be divided into as many chambers as there are cranks, one chamber for eacll crank. This ehalnber alld its piece C may also be dispensed with and the crank-shaft alld the piece be 0therwise suitably supported ill any suitable mannel'.

The number of gear-wheels, as H' H2 H, may be dilnillished to two or increased to any practical number desired, regard beillg had to their respective dialneters and to the lluliibei' of their teeth.

'llilc all of the various features ot' lily invention are preferably employed together, one or lnore ot' them may be used separately, aild,

IOS

IIO

'when desired, in conjunction with suitable mechanism and devices other than herein shown, and will then still fall Within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as newand ot' my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The rotary valve provided with annular chambers h. each having a chamber or recess, h2, in the side of the valve, and the annular chambers la', each having a recess or chamber, h3, in the side of the valve, in combination with the steam-chest having the ports a' a2 a3 and ports d d d2, and the port e, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination ot' the piston-head Land piece L and the piece L2, provided with openings t3 and the pitman M.

3. The combination of the piston-head L and piece L and the piece L2, provided with openings L3 and the pitman-hcad m, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The rotary valve provided with the annular chambers h, each having a chamber or rccess; h2, in the side of the valve, annular chambers h', each having a recess or chamber, h3, in the side of the valve, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The rotary valve constructed substantially as specified, in combination with ports,

as a a? a3, and ports, as c, substantially as andk for the purposes specified.

6. The rotary valve provided ith annular chambers h, each having a chamber or recess, h2, in the side ot' the valve, annular chambers h', each having a recess or chamber, h3, in the side ot' the valve and located in close proximity to the cylinders, in combination with the valve-chest placed upon the ends ofthe cylinders and forming the heads thereof, and the short ports, as d d d2, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. The rotaryvalve provided with annular chambers h, each having a chamber or recess, h2, in the side of the valve, annular chambers t, each having a recess or chamber, h3, in the side of the valve and located in close proximity to the cylinders, in combination with the valve-chest placed upon the ends of the cylinders and forming the heads thereof, and the ports, as a' a2 a3, and ports, as e, the short ports, as d d d2, substantially as and for the purposes specitled.

8. The rotary valve provided with annular port h, having chamber h2, and annular port h', having chamber h3, and further provided With neck J, provided with the beveled face r, in combination with the steam chest having ports, as described, and the beveled face r', and the center h4, substantially as and for the purposes speried.

9. The rotary valve providedv'ith annular port h, having chamber h2, and annular perth', having chamber h3, and the neck J, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

10. In combination with the rotary valve provided with annular ports and chambers, substantially as described, the val ve-chest provided With extended port A', having openings, as a a2 a3, and ports, as d d! d2, and port a, and exhaust-port c', connected to one main exhaust, as E or E2, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

BENJAMIN G. VANDUZEN.

Attest:

J. WM. STREHLI, E. R. HILL. 

